NOVEMBER 2010

CUSTOMERSERVICEALLEGHANY

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www.skyline.org

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WORTH NOTING:THURSDAY,

NOVEMBER 25THAND FRIDAY,

NOVEMBER 26THSkyLine/SkyBest

Customer Service CentersClose for Thanksgiving

Holiday

STAFFJIMMY BLEVINSChief Executive Officer

KIM SHEPHERDCustomer Service &Sales Manager

KAREN P. POWELLPublic Relations Director

& Editor

103987

Published monthly for customers of SkyLine Membership Corporation and SkyBest Communications

SkyLine held its 54th Annual Meeting on Saturday,October 2, at Ashe County High School, with over 600 peoplein attendance.

Elected by the membership to serve a three-year termon the board were R.C. Mitchell, a member and president ofSkyLine’s Board of Directors representing Alleghany County,and Olan Bentley, who will fill the vacant Johnson County seatfollowing the recent retirement of SkyLine Board memberJ.L. Shumate.

SkyLine’s Corporate Attorney Ray Parker presidedover the business meeting, with reports given by SkyLinePresident R.C. Mitchell and SkyLine Chief Executive OfficerJimmy Blevins.

In his remarks, Mr. Mitchell commented, “We continue tofocus on providing our members access to advancedtelecommunications: the kinds of services that are essentialto the way we communicate with others, conduct businessand connect to a world of information.” He also highlightedSkyLine’s role in the community, from supporting economic

Mitchell & Bentley Elected for Three-Year TermsSkyLine’s 54th Annual Meeting Held October 2

development through the co-op’s Revolving Loan Fundand providing scholarship and leadership opportunities forchildren of members to funding technology enhancementsin area public schools.

Mr. Blevins noted that 2009 was a year of progress andachievement for the cooperative. He also addressed thecompany’s continuing efforts to extend fiber-to-the-premise(FTTP) technology across the service area, includingacknowledgment of the recent USDA grant and loan toextend FTTP technology to areas of Alleghany, Ashe andJohnson counties. “When our service area is completelyconstructed with fiber, members will be the beneficiary of anetwork that will affect generations to follow – a network thatis basically future proof and able to handle the needs oftoday, tomorrow, and for decades to come,” he said. He alsospoke of SkyLine’s sound financial condition, which allowedfor a capital credit refund of $1.4 million in 2010, as well asthe financial performance and latest offerings of SkyBestCommunications, SkyLine’s subsidiary.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

With members of the board and CEO Jimmy Blevinsseated behind him, SkyLine President R.C. Mitchell

addresses the membership.

SkyLine CEO Jimmy Blevins reported that 2009 was ayear of progress and achievement for the cooperative.

Pictured at left are SkyLine’s Eric Holt and ShaunaPowers speaking to a member about fiber and

broadband services.

Retired SkyLine employee Dewey Hoppers of AlleghanyCounty, shown at right with SkyLine’s Bernard Clouse,

won an LG LCD television.

Members enjoyed the music of Fred Cox and the AsheCounty Bluegrass Band during registration and lunch.

The Ashe County High School JROTC presented colorsand the Ashe County High School Chorus performed the

National Anthem at this year’s meeting.

Cora Phipps with son and SkyLine Scholarship winnerJoseph Edwards received the Dell laptop computer, one

of two grand prizes awarded this year.

FRS Youth Tour to Washington, D.C. participantsLeah Himmelman and Kristen Clarke. R.C. Mitchell Olan G. Bentley

J.L. Shumate Retires from SkyLineAfter 51 years of service and advocacy toward the advance-

ment of rural telephony, Mr. J.L. Shumate of Shady Valley, Ten-nessee retired from SkyLine’s Board of Directors on September 30.

Mr. Shumate’s affiliation with telephone cooperatives beganwith the former Cherokee Telephone Membership Corporationwhich served Banner Elk and Shady Valley. Mr. Shumate wasamong the organizers of Cherokee Telephone, which mergedwith SkyLine in 1961. At the time of his retirement, Mr. Shumate

served as Assistant Secretary of the Board.

A native of Rugby, Virginia, Mr. Shumate was educated at Marion and Radford Colleges.The former teacher spent several years as an electrician and was a former electricalinspector for Johnson County before joining Ratheon in Bristol and retiring in 1991. Heand his wife Shirley live near the historic school in Shady Valley and are active members ofShady Valley Church of Christ, where Mr. Shumate has taught Sunday School and cared forthe church’s physical plant. Over the years, he has served on the Johnson County SchoolBoard and as president of the Shady Valley School PTA. He has been a scout master toTroop 229 of the Boy Scouts of America and a member of the Shady Valley Ruritan Club.

SkyLine President R.C. Mitchell recognized Mr. Shumate for his many years of serviceand leadership at the 2010 Annual Meeting. “J.L. has been a tremendous supporter ofSkyLine and a strong advocate for Shady Valley members,” Mr. Mitchell said. “It seemsfitting that during the year of his retirement, we learned of the USDA funding, ensuringthat every home and business in Shady Valley will receive access to fiber-to-the-hometechnology over the next three years. J.L., the board joins me in expressing our deepestappreciation and fondest wishes to you, Shirley and your family.”

Customer Appreciation Day Winners!In conjunction with National Cooperative Month in

October, SkyLine hosted Customer Appreciation Day at allof its Customer Service Centers on Thursday, October 7.Nearly 250 members and customers dropped by that day,enjoyed fall refreshments, ice scrapers and also had achance to register for several door prizes. Congratulationsto our winners, who received one of the following: a year ofInternet Guardian, six months of free Caller ID/Voice Mail ora $50 SkyLine/SkyBest gift certificate.Patricia Richardson

Brenda PoeShirley CalhounRyan Sexton

Avery Winebarger

Annual Meeting Door Prize WinnersCarol Kennedy

Robert & Alene DavisCharles ReavisCharles SwannJack David DancyBilly & Rhumell Lyle

Bill GentryRonald & Barbara AtwoodEmmett & Wylene Barker

Vergil CretsingerMargaret Cox

Beulah Mae JohnsonElmer EldrethRussell TremblyGary Matheson

Ernest & Sherri WeaverGlenn & Margaret Mast

Mildred TorneyRay Allen FarmerSpencer Brown

John & Jackie MarshRosetta Brewer

Dollar’s Carhartt Store

Annual Photos from SkyLine’s54th Annual Meeting

Joan LudwiskiBrantley & Ervie BareWanda Lyalls HallSylvia Ketner

Jerry WitherspoonChurch of Christ ParsonageThomas & Sharon Kasel

Steven Douglas & Leah RingDonald & Barbara Conrad

Mrs. F.A. WagnerJames & Jackie Lawrence

Clarence DillardShirley Hall

Dorothy WilsonDavid Trivette

Bill & Barbarra CornettMichelle & Tim WaltonPhil & Pat Morrison

Kristin & Larry ScarboroughSadie Maines

Cora Lee PhippsDewey HoppersAudrey Dancy

Michael RaymondBrenda DowningFrances JacksonJessica CombsJohn Washburn

Jenny LamastersVicky DownerSteve BrownHazel BlackAngie Scott

Kayla Knecht of Avery County, shownhere with SkyLine’s Karen Powell, isone of 10 area students who receivedthe Frank James-SkyLine Scholarship.

These students are among those who received scholarships throughSkyLine in 2010.

Cooperative Leadership Conference participants Leah Himmelman, Rachel Scott,Chelsea Reavis and Meghan Vannoy

SKYLINE’S 54TH ANNUAL MEETING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The business meeting included special recognition ofthis year’s SkyLine Scholarship and Foundation for RuralService Scholarship winners, Cooperative LeadershipConference attendees and the FRS Youth Tour toWashington participants. Musical entertainment wasprovided during registration and lunch by the Ashe CountyBluegrass Band, and children’s activities were led by theAshe County High School Art Department, who providedhands-on art activities and face painting. Smoky MountainBarbecue prepared a full barbecue lunch to attendees andseveral SkyLine members won door prizes.